{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T10:00:32Z","timestamp":1774951232459,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]],"date-time":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774656000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and the COVID-19 pandemic have both been identified as potential risk factors for socioemotional difficulties in children. This study aimed to assess behavioral outcomes in young children born to mothers previously screened for postpartum depressive symptoms, comparing cohorts evaluated during and after the pandemic using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 1\u00bd\u20135). Methods: An observational follow-up cohort study was conducted on 52 mother\u2013child dyads derived from a previously established maternal cohort screened with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Two cohorts were defined according to the child\u2019s birth period: during-pandemic (January\u2013April 2022) and post-pandemic (October\u2013November 2023) groups. Behavioral outcomes were assessed using CBCL 1\u00bd\u20135. Group differences were tested using parametric or non-parametric methods for continuous variables and \u03c72 or Fisher\u2019s exact tests for categorical variables. Exploratory regression models and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Results: Children assessed in the post-pandemic cohort showed a lower prevalence of non-normal internalizing scores than those assessed in the during-pandemic cohort, whereas externalizing outcomes and Total Problems did not significantly differ between groups. In exploratory models, a child\u2019s age showed a near-significant association with internalizing outcomes, suggesting that developmental stage at assessment may have contributed to the observed cohort difference. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery was not associated with children\u2019s behavioral outcomes. Conclusions: These findings suggest a possible difference in internalizing behavioral profiles between children assessed in during-pandemic and post-pandemic cohorts. However, this pattern should be interpreted cautiously because the cohorts differed substantially in age at follow-up, and age-related factors may have affected symptom detectability. Continued longitudinal follow-up will be important to clarify whether the observed differences persist over time.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children13040467","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T13:40:52Z","timestamp":1774878052000},"page":"467","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Children\u2019s Behavioral Development in Correlation with Postpartum Mental Health During Pandemic Period"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-6249-4766","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Arianna","family":"Capocasale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine and Surgery, Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Pediatric Department, Buzzi Children\u2019s Hospital, 20154 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Liberati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Psychology Unit, Health Management, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8567-2639","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Danilo","family":"Buonsenso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Sonna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS\u2014Roma, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Bersani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Sonna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS\u2014Roma, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michela","family":"Caprarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Sonna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS\u2014Roma, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0130-6584","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela Pia Rosaria","family":"Chieffo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Psychology Unit, Health Management, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ilaria","family":"Contaldo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Dipartimento Scienza della Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniele","family":"Gemin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Giugno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Sonna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS\u2014Roma, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rosanna","family":"Mastricci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Sonna e del Bambino, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. 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